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WHY THE COAL TAR 
CHEMICAL INDUSTRY 
MUST BE PRESERVED 

AND 

HOW TO ACCOMPLISH IT 

by 

§gfg ' k % ®' 

S. Isermann 


THE CHEMICAL CO. OF AMERICA, INC. 

46 MURRAY STREET 
NEW YORK 



“Was there ever such a complex, interdependent, indis¬ 
pensable industry since time began? No wonder the man 
without special training has difficulty in comprehending it! 
But he does know how to appreciate medicine when he is 
ill, recorded music when in the mood, the delicate perfume, 
the pleasing color combination, the need to be ready to 
defend all he holds dear. Why then can he not see the 
necessity of firmly establishing the sources of these vital 
products?” 

H. E. HOWE. 

National Research Council, Washington, D. C. 


©CU627028 





INTRODUCTION 


<b 


HE question of the importance of the coal tar 



i chemical industry to the wealth and welfare 
of the nation in time of peace and war, has been 
so fully discussed that it is hardly necessary to go 
into a lengthy explanation now. Every broad 
minded American, no matter what his or her po¬ 
litical belief, has come to the conclusion that this 
industry must and will be safeguarded to the ut¬ 
most, but in the layman’s mind there is a question 
as to why extraordinary measures are necessary to 
protect and foster the industry. In view of this 
I have undertaken to describe as plainly as possible 
in a practical manner why most extraordinary pre¬ 
cautions ARE necessary to assure ourselves that, 
broadly speaking, this industry is not going to be 
destroyed. 

In order to acquaint the layman’s mind with the 
intricacies of the industry it was necessary to de¬ 
scribe in simple language the close connection be¬ 
tween dyestuffs, drugs, explosives, photographic 
chemicals, perfumes, poison gases, tanning mate¬ 
rials, synthetic resins, and so forth. 

The importance of the different branches of the 
coal tar chemical industry and their interdepend¬ 
ence is such that extraordinary care must be taken 
in devising ways and means not only to protect the 
industry, but to further develop it, and if this is 
to be accomplished, every safeguard must be pro¬ 
vided. 

Ways and means to protect and develop the in¬ 
dustry can best be devised by men experienced in 
it and must not be left to those whose financial 
gain dictates opposition to the best methods of 
protection. 





September, 1921. 


COPYRIGHT 1921 BY S. ISERMANN 





TABLE OF CONTENTS 


Page 

Phosgene, a Poisonous War Gas Utilized to Serve Mankind.... 3 

The Relationship of the Dyestuff Industry to the Other 

Coal Tar Chemical Industries. 6 

Dyestuffs in Medicine. 10 

The Classification of Coal Tar Dyestuffs. 11 

Dyestuff Importations by Groups, Fiscal Year 1913-1914. 17 

Why an Ordinary Tariff Will Not Properly Protect the Dye 

and Coal Tar Chemical Industry. 21 

Selective Attack . 25 

Prices . 25 

Analysis of Dyestuff Patents. 27 

Letter of President Harding. 29 

Letter of Secretary Weeks. 30 

Letter of Secretary Denby. 32 

Letter of General Pershing. 33 

Statement of General Fries. 34 

A German Expert’s View. 37 

Conclusion . 41 

Specimen Dyestuff Patent. 42 

Imports and Exports by Months. 45 

Utilization of By-Products. 46 

An English Expert’s View. 48 

SEP 29 821 





















3 


PHOSGENE 


A Poisonous War Gas Utilized to Serve Mankind 


The World War and its impressions are still thoroughly in our 
minds. When one thinks of a poison gas he connects it with the 
horrors of warfare; that the same gas ever was, or is, going to be 
utilized to help mankind, is rarely known or understood. Usually 
it is thought that the development of poison gases should only be 
considered from the viewpoint of the preservation of the war powers 
in case of conflict. In view of this and in view of the coming 
discussion of the nations on the reduction of armament, or the 
disarmament conference, as it is called, the public press is full of 
the importance of the chemical industry to the national welfare and 
national defense. Every thinking American fully realizes the 
importance of the chemical industry to the welfare of the nation. 
Very few, however, give sufficient thought to the fact that the coal 
tar chemical industry which has played such a tremendous role in 
the late war, is one of the industries which was and will be utilized 
for the betterment, preservation and adornment of mankind. 

To illustrate, one of the most important of all gases, “Phosgene 
Gas,’* destructive to the utmost on the one hand, is a constructive 
and beneficial agent of the highest value on the other. This gas, 
chemically called “Carbonyl Chloride,” is one of the very useful 
agents in the arts and sciences. The importance of this gas as an 
agent of war, is hardly necessary to mention, but its importance on 
the industrial and beneficial side has been generally overlooked in 
the United States. 

Dyes and Drugs 

To set forth more clearly the several kinds of human endeavor 
in which Phosgene is of service, let us first consider it from the 
point of view as a constructive agent used in the manufacture of 
dyestuffs. As examples, let us take: 

AURAMIN, a valuable popular yellow dye largely used in the 
dyeing of paper stock, highly prized in silk and cotton dyeing, is 
an offspring of Phosgene. 

VICTORIA BLUE, another offspring of Phosgene, is a 
brilliant blue silk dye, a most popular shade with milady. During 
the War this dyestuff, owing to the unavailability of Phosgene for 
commercial purposes, was not obtainable on the markets. 




4 


WOOL GREEN S, one of a series of valuable dyes belonging 
to the Phosgene family. This dye is very highly regarded for wool 
and silk dyeing. The shade is popular in the form of ladies’ shawls, 
sweaters, golfing jackets, etc. 

These three examples ought to be sufficient to prove that 
Phosgene plays an important role in the manufacture of popular 
dyestuffs. 

To introduce another phase of the usefulness of Phosgene, 
let us first describe the physiological action of Phosgene. It 
poisons the lung cells, makes respiration impossible, paralyzes the 
respiratory centers and produces a death of many agonies. To 
think that this same Phosgene, in conjunction with Guaiacol would 
be helpful in alleviating lung troubles, is beyond the conception of 
the layman; but the fact is that “Guaiacol Carbonate,” a product of 
Phosgene and Guaiacol, a coal tar product, acts as a healer in lung 
troubles, and is usually employed in the different stages of tuber¬ 
cular infections. 

Another example of the usefulness of Phosgene as a drug 
is “Carbozone,” chemically known as Santalyl Carbonate, a 
useful drug for bladder trouble and urethral infections. This 
interesting drug, produced with the aid of Phosgene, is becoming 
very popular on account of its palatibility, compared with ordinary 
sandalwood oil. Other drugs, such as the popular but bad-tasting 
Quinine, can be made agreeable to take, by the proper use of Phos¬ 
gene. This is accomplished without interfering with the effective¬ 
ness of the drug. 


Flavors and Perfumes 

COUMARIN, a very popular scent, is used for flavoring pur¬ 
poses and in perfumery. For many years produced by chemists 
from the coal tar derivative Phenol (Carbolic Acid) this is now 
being made with the aid of Phosgene. The largest consumers of 
this flavoring material in the United States are the tobacco and 
snuff manufacturers, and it is also used for making a certain grade 
of vanilla flavoring. Before the chemical body became popular, the 
Tonka Bean, which contains Coumarin, was largely used. Of late 
the synthetic coumarin has replaced almost entirely the Tonka 
Bean, and Phosgene, the poison gas, has simplified to a very great 
extent the methods of production of this most valuable of flavors. 


5 


Having spoken of the usefulness of Phosgene in the medical 
sciences and in the art of dyestuff making, let us now turn aside into 
a channel unlike those already touched upon, and for the moment 
let us appeal to the ladies of refinement through that discerning 
and delicate sense called Smell. It is said that to reach the lady’s 
heart, “Say it with Flowers.” There is no flower so generally 
acceptable or satisfying and so complete in itself as “The Modest 
Little Violet.” True, it is a far step from the bloody fields of 
Flanders to the perfumer’s laboratory, and yet this step can easily 
be taken and Phosgene makes this possible. 

All perfume lovers will admit that perfumes are creations of 
fashions. Like fashions, they come and go. Odors have their 
seasons, their “rages,” and then their courses are run. Numerous 
American or foreign bouquets which were the rage for a season 
have traveled into oblivion, but the Violet, the modest Violet, was, 
is, and always will be, the choice of the lady of refinement. But 
this is not all. We should add here that at no time was it possible 
to recreate the splendor of the natural fragrance of the violet as 
well as now. Why? Simply through the adoption of a chemical 
known as Phosgene. 

METHYL HEPTIN CARBONATE. The name seems mean¬ 
ingless; true, but so was Phosgene until we knew something more 
about it. The chemical with the unpronounceable name to the lay¬ 
man, is a wonderful violet perfume body which was sold at prices so 
fabulous as to make one gasp for breath, even as one would after an 
inhalation of Phosgene! To be exact, this unpronounceable violet 
chemical body produced with the aid of Phosgene, not so very long 
ago sold in the markets of the world for several thousand dollars 
per pound. Since the chemist’s skill in utilizing Phosgene to aid 
mankind has more fully been called into service, it is now being 
produced at prices such as to permit it to be used generally in the 
finer group of violet scents; and the lady, no matter how humble 
her station in life, can avail herself of the opportunity of having 
the finest and best American made violet perfume on her dressing 
table to enhance her charm and loveliness. 


• • • 




6 

THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE DYESTUFF INDUSTRY 

to 

THE OTHER COAL TAR CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES 


The best known coal tar crudes, distilled from coal-tar, are 
BENZOL, TOLUOL, XYLOL, PHENOL, CRESOL, NAPHTHA¬ 
LENE and ANTHRACENE. These are of themselves pure prod¬ 
ucts, but are called “crudes” because they are the raw materials 
for the manufacture of “intermediates.” Intermediates are the raw 
materials for the production of the numerous finished synthetic 
organic chemicals of coal-tar origin. 

BENZOL 

BENZOL is the base for ANILINE OIL, which coal tar 
product was at one time the only base for ANILINE DYES. 

While today it is very seldom used in the same manner and for 
the same purposes as it was fifty years ago when the dyestuff 
industry started, new processes and methods have been invented in 
which ANILINE OIL is used, and, therefore, it is still the most 
largely consumed intermediate product used in the manufacture of 
dyestuffs. 

It is for this reason that the coal tar dyes have retained the 
name ANILINE DYES. 

From BENZOL is made PICRIC ACID, an explosive, and 
CHLOR PICRIN, a very important poison gas; also HYDRO- 
QUINONE, the largest and most important photographic developer, 
especially for moving pictures, etc. ANILINE OIL is also the base 
for SALVARSAN, a drug of utmost importance to the health and 
welfare of the nation. Another important use occurs in the manu¬ 
facture of rubber goods, such as tires and rubber sundries, where 
ANILINE OIL is employed as an accelerator, in the process of 
curing. At the beginning of the War when there was a shortage 
of aniline oil, all the large rubber manufacturers installed their own 
aniline oil plants. ANILINE OIL is used for producing a 
GERANIUM PERFUME and for the manufacture of stabilizers 
for gun powder. From ANILINE is also made TETRA N1TRO 
ANILINE, a very high explosive known as TETRYL. 

TOLUOL 

One of the important intermediates made from TOLUOL is 
BENZYL CHLORIDE, which is used for the manufacture of: 



7 


BENZALDEHYDE, a flavoring material out of which is also 
made a SYNTHETIC HYACINTH PERFUME, and a variety of 
most important GREEN and BLUE ACID DYES. 

BENZOIC ACID (Benzoate of Soda), a drug and preservative. 

BENZYL BENZOATE is a chemical substance belonging to 
the Benzoic Acid group and is so intensely interesting that a word 
about it will hot be amiss. This colorless oily body was first brought 
into prominence as a solvent by perfumers. During the War its 
usefulness became known in connection with the construction of 
aeroplanes, to render the wings fire and waterproof. “But this is 
not all.” About 1918 an American scientist of Johns Hopkins 
University discovered its use in medicine. He found that Benzyl 
Benzoate has the same pain-allaying properties as some of the 
constituents found in opium hut it is non-habit forming and has 
none of the narcotic qualities of opium . In two short years this 
American discovery is largely prescribed for its almost specified 
action in such conditions as asthma, for irritating coughs like 
“whooping” cough, etc. Here is an illustration of a simple organic 
chemical substance which can serve mankind at one time as a 
valuable solvent , a weapon of warfare and a useful drug. 

BENZYL CYANIDE, an intermediate for the manufacture of 
poison gas, known as BROM BENZYL CYANIDE. 

From PHENYL ACETIC ACID (made from Benzyl Cyanide) 
is made PHENYL ETHYL ALCOHOL, which is at the same time 
a rose leaf perfume and one of the newest local anesthetics for 
minor surgery. It is also the starting point for newly adopted 
antiseptics. 

BENZYL CHLORIDE is an important intermediate for the 
manufacture of ACID GREENS, ACID VIOLET, ACID BLUES, 
and other very important dyestuffs. From TOLUOL are also made 
hundreds of other valuable dyestuffs, and COLOR LAKES. 

TRINITROTOLUOL (commonly known as T. N. T.) one of 
the most important explosives, used largely during the war by all 
countries and having replaced PICRIC ACID to a very great extent 
because it is safer to pack and ship. A sweetening material and 
flavor known as SACCHARINE is also made from TOLUOL. 

PHENOL 

This product is found by itself in coal tar, or it may be made 
synthetically from BENZOL. It was one of the first important 
disinfectants and was introduced under the name of CARBOLIC 


8 


ACID. The same PHENOL or CARBOLIC ACID is used for the 
production of ACET PHENETIDIN (phenacetine, a headache 
remedy and antipyretic), a very important drug, PICRIC ACID, 
an explosive, SALICYLIC ACID, a base for numerous drugs, as 
for instance, ASPIRIN. SALICYLIC ACID is also used for a 
great number of dyes, as for instance CHROME BLACKS, ACID 
and DIRECT REDS, YELLOWS, BLUES, for men’s wear. A 
great number of important SULPHUR COLORS are made from 
PHENOL. 

Other products produced from PHENOL are COUMARIN, 
an important flavor, PARA AMIDOPHENOL, a fur dye and a 
photographic developer, METOL, the best and most popular photo¬ 
graphic developer, DIPHENYL OXIDE, an artificial GERANIUM 
PERFUME. A great number of other dyes, drugs and organic 
chemicals, are obtained directly or indirectly from PHENOL. As 
a matter of fact, there are a greater number of drugs produced from 
PHENOL than any other coal tar chemical, as even GUAIACOL, 
which was originally obtained from beechwood, is now being made 
from PHENOL. In turn, this product may be used for the pro¬ 
duction of VANILLIN, an important flavor and perfume. It also is 
commonly used for the manufacture of synthetic, insulating mate¬ 
rial, such as BAKELITE, REDMANOL, CONDENSITE, etc., and 
for the manufacture of phonographic records. To describe the 
varied and many uses of PHENOL would consume many pages. 

NAPHTHALENE 

A coal tar crude used in the manufacture of DIRECT COT¬ 
TON and ACID WOOL and SILK DYES. 

A very important product made from NAPHTHALENE is, 

BETA NAPHTHOL, used as a drug, as BETA NAPHTHOL 
BENZOATE and similar compounds; it is also used for developing 
fast colors on cotton and as a base for LAKES used for printing. 

In conjunction with PARA NITRANILINE as a red it is used 
largely in paper printing and for color lakes. 

The NAPHTHALENE series is probably the most important 
series of dyes, as from NAPHTHALENE is made PHTHALIC 
ANHYDRIDE, a starting point for the manufacture of INDIGO 
and an entire series of INDIGO and ALIZARIN COLORS, which 
have a promising future. 


9 


NAPHTHALENE is used for the manufacture of PHENOL- 
PHTHALEIN, a drug (a mild laxative), and an indispensable 
indicator for chemical reactions. 

DIETHYL PHTHALATE, a solvent for the perfumery trade. 

It is also used for the manufacture of ARTIFICIAL 
LEATHER and in the production of INSULATING MATE¬ 
RIALS for MOTORS, etc. 

TRINITRONAPHTHALENE, a very important explosive. 

ETHYL and METHYL BETA NAPHTHOL, which are 
ORANGE PERFUMES. 


XYLOL 

This coal tar crude is used for the manufacture of a consider¬ 
able number of important dyestuffs, principally REDS, SCAR¬ 
LETS, BLUES and GREENS. Quite a number of important 
COLOR LAKES are produced from it. 

Aside from its use for the manufacture of dyestuffs, Xylol 
has found but very few usages. During the war, however, a product 
of XYLOL, TRINITROXYLOL, was introduced as an important 
HIGH EXPLOSIVE. Had the war continued for any length of 
time, TRINITROXYLOL would have been employed to great 
advantage. There are also dyes made from Xylol which are used 
for INDICATORS. Furthermore, an ARTIFICIAL MUSK is also 
being manufactured out of XYLOL, which product is very closely 
related to the explosive TRINITROXYLOL. 

This will give an approximate idea of the number of chemical 
products that have been made out of the COAL TAR CRUDES. 
There are other coal tar crudes out of which a great number of 
useful products are made. As a matter of fact, thousands of coal 
tar chemicals in the way of drugs, dyes, photographic materials, 
flavors, perfume materials, insulating materials, tanning materials, 
synthetic resins, and other similar chemicals have been made and 
probably will be made in the near future. To describe fully all the 
possibilities would take up more space and consume more time 
than is at your disposal, but this ought to give an approximate 
idea of the possibilities, and will show the close relationship that 
exists between the coal tar dyes and all the rest of the related 
chemicals, and will prove the contention that unless the entire and 
complete field is properly protected we will never have a substantial 
coal tar industry in this country or become independent of the rest 
of the world. 


10 


DYESTUFFS IN MEDICINE 


Many investigators of chemical structures of organic chemical 
bodies, whether of plant, animal or artificial origin, studied the 
relation between the chemical constitution and physiological action 
of these and allied substances. 

In this way Methylene Blue, a basic dyestuff, was experimented 
with and found to possess strong parasiticidal action—it is used 
internally in nephritis and rheumatism and relapsing fevers. In 
like fashion two Benzidine dyes made for cotton dyeing were 
found Trypanocidal, highly useful in treating tropical diseases— 
notably the sleeping sickness. These two are—the Trypan Red and 
Trypan-Blue. 

Malachite Green and Brilliant Green, dyestuffs of coal tar 
origin, were used extensively as antiseptics. Scarlet Red, a Toluol 
dye, was found to stimulate growth of tissue over granulating 
wounds. 

The Arsphenamines or Arsenobenzols, or Salvarsans, or simply 
“606,” belong to the class of dyes useful as a specific remedy for 
syphilis in all stages. This notable drug is produced from Benzol 
and it contains about 31% of Arsenic which is so combined that it 
destroys the parasites (serving as food for the parasites) without 
exerting its toxic effect on the human organism. It is useful in all 
tabetic affections, early paralysis and in epilepsy due to syphilis. 

No less notable dyestuffs used in medicine are the two Acridines 
—intense yellow dyes. Proflavine and Acriflavine, both possessors 
of high antiseptic power, which in the process of wound repair 
have no deleterious effect on either the leucocytes (white blood 
corpuscles) or phagocytes. This desirable quality is possessed by 
no other antiseptic. Both these antiseptics are non-toxic and non¬ 
irritating. The greatest popularity of the Flavine antiseptics dates 
since the World War where their employment in gun-shot wounds 
brought them into prominence. 

All these useful bodies are made in America and the industry 
contributing these health agents is the same which contributes other 
dyestuffs, colors, drugs, photographic materials, flavors, perfumes, 
solvents, artificial silk, artificial leather, ivory resins, rubber and 
other useful commodities. 

• • • • 



11 


THE CLASSIFICATION OF COAL TAR DYESTUFFS 


Dyestuffs are usually classified into six groups, which grouping 
has no bearing on their method of manufacture, as there are hun¬ 
dreds or thousands of methods of manufacturing the known dye¬ 
stuffs, but this grouping has a direct bearing on the practical side 
of dyestuffs, which is their method of application and their usage. 
The groups are: 

(1) BASIC DYES, 

(2) ACID DYES, 

(3) DIRECT DYES, 

(4) CHROME AND ALIZARIN DYES. 

(5) VATS AND INDIGO DYES, 

(6) SULPHUR DYES. 

(1) BASIC DYES. Basic Dyes are the dyes which were first 
discovered in England and from 1860 to 1870 developed in France, 
and from then on further developed in Germany. They produce 
shades of wonderful brightness, but very poor fastness to light, and 
their use, while being still quite large on account of their bright¬ 
ness has been displaced of late with dyes faster to light belonging 
to the acid group or the direct group. 

The Basic Dyes dye wool and silk in a water bath, without any 
additions whatsoever; cotton, however, to be dyed with them, has 
to be treated first with tannin (Tannic Acid). 

Basic Dyes still find considerable use in the manufacture of 
printing inks. 

(2) ACID DYES. This group of dyes is known under the 
name of acid dyes, as an acid has to be used in the dye bath to 
properly develop the dye on the fiber. Their principal use is on 
wool or silk fiber and for light material, such as ladies’ dress goods, 
knitting yarns, etc., which do not stand much handling due to the 
fiimsy construction or character of the material, and the dyeing with 
acid dyes can be done in a very short time and by a single process. 
Their use on cotton, however, is very limited. 

The relative value of acid dyes against other dyes depends: 
first, on their property of easily dyeing the material level (which 



12 


means that a dye goes on the fabric or yarn evenly and does not 
streak); second, their relative fastness to light; third, their relative 
fastness to alkali, which is contained in street dust. 

All acid dyes do not possess all of the same properties, some 
produce shades which are faster to light than others, some produce 
shades which are faster to alkali than others, while some of the 
fastest dyes are of little use on account of their uneven dyeing 
properties and dullness of shade, and very often, a very bright dye 
is used for brightening up dull shades, even though the fastness to 
light be not all that is desired. 

On the whole, there are hundreds of this class of dyes in use 
and there are several thousand more known, which may or can be 
used. 

Speaking, however, from the practical or dyers’ point of view, 
one-half or three-quarters of the acid dyes may be done away with 
without interfering with the shades in demand from season to 
season. 

As a practical proposition most of the new dyes, which have 
been introduced in the past fifteen years, were of no real advantage 
to the dyer but served the purpose of offering a good sales argument 
for replacing the dyes of one concern with those of another of 
Germany or Switzerland. 

Fastness to light in a great many cases is not of such great 
importance, as acid dyes are used most on women’s dress goods and 
such fancy goods where the main object is brightness and brilliancy 
of shade and which are not intended for constant use in direct 
sunlight. 

As quite a percentage of acid dyes is used for dyeing evening 
wear articles, the fastness to light, that is to sunlight, often becomes 
of secondary importance. More often, the property of retaining 
the same shade in artificial light is more desirable than the fastness 
to sunlight. Many dyes are peculiar in that, under artificial light, 
the shade of the dyed fiber appears different than in sunlight. 

The acid dyes made in the U. S. A. are every bit as good and 
bright as their corresponding dyes of foreign origin. 

The production of the large number of what may be called 
unnecessary dyes developed, however, chemical experience, refine- 


13 


ment of equipment, and knowledge of manufacturing to a great 
extent. 

(3) DIRECT DYES. Direct dyes derive their name from 
their property of dyeing either cotton, wool or silk in a direct dye 
bath without the addition of any chemicals. Their principal use is 
for cheap cotton goods and cotton worsteds, for which latter mate¬ 
rial they are often sold under the name of Union Dyes. 

The fastness of the earlier direct dyes is not as good as may be 
expected, but their easy method of application and their reason- 
ablness of price made them very desirable, and for that reason very 
large amounts have been imported and similar dyes are now being 
made here on a very large scale. 

The methods of production (or assembling) which were also 
carried on in the U. S. A. on a small scale previous to the war were 
very simple and did not take much complicated machinery, although 
the production of the raw materials or intermediates for these dyes 
requires considerable chemical skill and equipment. 

The average direct dye does not produce shades on cotton fast 
to washing. Therefore methods of after treatment are used on 
many dyes. The principal method is called “Developing,” which 
means the dyestuff is changed on the fiber by the addition of inter¬ 
mediates to the dye bath, and which produces shades very fast to 
washing and light and was used prior to the war by most hosiery 
mills for blacks, blues and browns. 

These developed dyes were the ones which became very scarce 
a short while after the outbreak of the European War and the 
hosiery dyers were placed in a position where they had to use direct 
cotton dyes of poor fastness to washing. This caused considerable 
dissatisfaction, both in the trade and with the consumer, especially 
the buyer of hosiery. 

At the present time a great many of these developed dyes, 
especially blacks, are manufactured here on a large scale. These 
dyes are of equal fastness and quality with the foreign developed 
dyes, but some hosiery manufacturers having become used to the 
single process of dyeing during the war are not inclined to change 
back to the more complicated method of developing. 

The American dyestuff industry is suffering on this account, 
and many complaints from the man in the street that cotton dyes 
are not fast are obviously due to the fact that the proper dyes 
are not used. 


14 


(4) CHROME AND ALIZARIN DYES. While Chrome 
and Alizarine Dyes are of quite different chemical composition, 
each from the other, their uses and methods of application are 
similar. Therefore they are almost always classified together. 

(4-a) CHROME DYES. Chrome Dyes are almost invari¬ 
ably such acid dyes, which, either by after treatment with metallic 
salts, such as chrome, or by treating the wool before dyeing with 
metallic salts, change their original shades into shades of different 
hues and greater fastness both to light and a process known as 
fulling. 

Fulling is a very essential process in the manufacture of woolen 
cloth, the cloth being woven in a width of 80 inches and more at 
times, and this width shrunk by the use of alkaline soaps to 56 
inches in the Fulling Mills, which adds of course to the thickness 
and wearing strength of such material. 

This type of dye is highly perfected in this country and few 
if any need to be imported at this time to satisfy the average 
demand from season to season. 

(4-b) ALIZARIN DYES. Alizarin dyes are usually deriva¬ 
tives of Anthracene. This type of dye may be called the latest 
development in acid chrome dyes. 

In reality, it was just a few years prior to 1914 that these dyes 
became popular. 

The advantages of these dyes are their great fastness to light 
in even very light shades such as greys and tans, and their fastness 
to Fulling, and for those reasons they are especially used for the 
dyeing of men’s wear. 

There are several concerns in this country who are now success¬ 
fully making some of these dyes, but additional time is necessary 
to further develop this group of dyes. 

(5) VAT DYES AND INDIGO. Vat colors take their name 
from the fact that they are dyed in large volumes of water, small 
quantities of material being dyed only at one time in a large tank 
or vat. The reason that the word vat is used is that most all other 
dyes are dyed at the boiling point of the dye bath in a kettle called 
Dye Kettle, while Vat dyes are dyed at a temperature of about 120 
degrees Fahrenheit and are never boiled. 


15 


The oldest vat dye known is indigo, which has been made 
synthetically for the last twenty years and is now being made here 
in sufficient quantities to supply all demands. 

In poundage, indigo is still the biggest single dye in use by the 
textile industry. 

Within the past fifteen years, other vat dyes of great fastness, 
similar to indigo, have been introduced in the market with more or 
less success by the Germans and others. 

If one considers poundage, vat dyes other than indigo would 
play but a small role except for their peculiar fastness properties. 
These vat dyes are especially fast to washing and chloring (bleach¬ 
ing) and are therefore used especially for wash goods materials, 
such as shirtings, etc., and though the quantities consumed may 
be small they are nevertheless of great importance. 

The development of this class of dyes has made very consider¬ 
able progress within the past year in this country and there are 
now several makers of this group of dyes, producing a considerable 
line. 

Their manufacture, however, requires extraordinary skill, 
special and expensive facilities, and a great deal of research. For 
that reason it is important that this group of dyes be protected to 
allow the proper development. 

If we are going to have a coal tar chemical industry here, we 
ought to have a hundred per cent industry, as it is in that way alone 
that we may bcome absolutely independent of foreign influences. 

The peculiar property of a vat dye is that the dyestuff as such 
is insoluble in water and the chemical nature of the dyestuff must 
be changed before it can be used for dyeing, which is done by the 
aid of chemicals such as hydrosulphite and caustic soda. 

This process is a very difficult one to control and this, no doubt, 
is one of the principal reasons that vat dyes are not more popular 
than they are. 

As the dyers become more and more acquainted with, and master 
the method of, application, the vat dyes will become of utmoat 


16 


importance. In view of this, it is absolutely necessary to protect 
this group of dyes by suitable legislation. 

If such precautions are not taken experts will be sent from 
the other side in unlimited numbers to better introduce these dyes. 
Such action will in a measure nullify the intended protection as 
the vat dyes are liable to replace many of the dyes which are not 
as fast, which are now made here. 

^6) SULPHUR DYES. Sulphur dyes take their name from 
the fact that a large amount of sulphur enters into their method 
of manufacture. 

Sulphur colors are dyestuffs which are insoluble in water, but, 
by the addition of sodium sulphide, become soluble in water and 
are then used exactly like direct dyes on cotton. 

The number of shades which can be obtained in this group of 
dyes is a limited one. This whole group has been exploited by a 
great many manufacturers in this country and is manufactured in 
quantities to supply the demand. 

Color Lakes (Pigments) 

The Color Lake is usually a water soluble acid dye which has 
been dissolved in water and precipitated by the aid of a mineral 
salt. After the precipitation, the color is filtered, dried and ground 
and is ready to be incorporated in oil. The dye is made insoluble 
in water for the reason that if it were soluble in water it would 
not be a paint because paints are not supposed to be affected by 
rain and water. In certain cases similar Lakes are used for printing 
on fabrics. 


The same groups of dyes used for textiles are also employed in 
the dyeing and coloring of paper, leather and other materials. 

In general, dye for dye, the American products are in every 
respect equal to their foreign prototypes. 



DYESTUFF IMPORTATIONS BY GROUPS 
FISCAL YEAR 1913-1914 


17 


Taken from Department of Commerce Reports 
Special Agents’ Series No. 121, by Thos. H. Norton 

In a previous description, we have shown the classification of 
dyestuffs in six groups according to their method of application. 
The following number of distinct dyes and brands were imported 
during the fiscal year of 1913-14. We show the classified and un¬ 
classified numbers. 




Classified 

Unclassified 

1 . 

Basic Dyestuffs . 

. 804 

98 

2. 

Acid Dyestuffs . 

.1,257 

530 

3. 

Direct Dyestuffs . 

. 929 

938 

4. 

Chrome and Alizarin 

Dye- 



stuffs . 

. 429 

245 

5. 

Vat Dyestuffs . 

. 125 

12 

6. 

Sulphur Dyestuffs . 

. 269 

257 



3,613 

2,080 


By classified is meant the classification in Schultz and Julius 
Tables, 1914, generally recognized as the authority on the classifica¬ 
tion of dyestuffs. 

It is understood that under this classification, dyestuffs can be 
recognized either chemically or technically, which means either by 
their chemical composition or trade usefulness, which latter after all 
is the only important factor in a dyestuff. 

Under one Schultz number frequently several brands are 
described or mentioned, and it is taken for granted that the dye¬ 
stuffs under a given number are suitable for the same purposes if 
used in the same manner, although chemically they may be different. 

By unclassified is meant that the manufacturers and importers 
were not willing to disclose under what classification the dyestuff 
belongs, although they were willing to disclose the group. Neither 
were they willing to disclose the chemical composition of the color, 
but those unclassified dyes come technically under the same group¬ 
ing as the classified ones and are used to replace such dyes as given 
in the classified list. It will be seen by following the six groups 
described that the number of unclassified dyes was more than half 











18 


the classified ones. In one specific instance of direct cotton dyes, 
the unclassified dyes are greater in number than the classified ones, 
938 to 929. By analyzing this table it will be seen that while the 
so-called classified dyes given in Schultz “Tables” are all told 921, 
there were actually imported in this country in the fiscal year 
1913-14, 3,613 classified and 2,080 unclassified dyes, making a total 
of 5,693. 

In order to show how easy it will be for the importer to get 
around a classification, we have taken a few concrete examples 
of each group of colors. For instance: 

1. BASIC DYESTUFFS 

Methyl Violet 

This dyestuff is one of the earliest of this group and still finds 
considerable use in the dyeing and printing of cotton, wool, silk, 
leather and jute, and in printing ink. 

During the fiscal year 1913-14 253,063 pounds of METHYL 

VIOLET were imported under eighty-one (81) different names and 
brands, and while some of them may have the same chemical com¬ 
position, many are chemically different. A dyer, however, who is 
the ultimate consumer of the color, recognizes only a blue shade 
of violet and a red shade, as he can get any desired effect or shade 
with these two distinct shades of the dyestuff. 

2. ACID DYESTUFFS 
(a) Acid Black 

This dyestuff is used principally for the dyeing of black on 
ladies’ dress goods, sweater yarn, felt hats, etc. 

The most commonly known dyestuff of the series of ACID 
BLACKS is a dye known under the name: 

Naphthol Blue Black 

which is either sold and used as a straight dye or mixed with a 
variety of other dyestuffs, like ACID ORANGE, ACID VIOLET, 
ACID RED, according to the desired shade which is in vogue from 
season to season. The following quantities were brought into 
the country, 726,649 pounds classified, under eighty-two (82) 
different names and brands; 385,051 pounds unclassified, under 
fifty (50) different names and brands, which makes altogether one 
hundred and thirty-two (132) different names or brands for such a 
simple color as ACID BLACK. 


19 


2. (b) Acid Violet 

This dyestuff is one of the most important fancy dyes of the 
ACID GROUP and is used principally in wool dyeing. 

It can be safely stated that only one-half a pound of every 
hundred pounds used is dyed by itself, that is, to produce a violet or 
purple shade on wool. 

It is used mostly as a shading color in combination with other 
dystuffs of the same or of different groups, where a small difference 
in the original shade used, can be easily overcome by adding a small 
amount of the opposite dye, which might be any ACID GREEN 
having similar dyeing properties, as for instance ACID GREEN or 
PATENT BLUE (Green Shade). 

During the fiscal year of 1913-14, 221,652 pounds of ACID 
VIOLET were imported under sixty-six (66) different names or 
brands, and while some of them may have the same chemical com¬ 
position, many are chemically different, each manufacturer having 
adopted a different method of manufacture to suit the intermediates 
at his disposal or the convenience of his plant. 

3. DIRECT DYESTUFFS 
Direct Black 

Dyestuffs of this type are consumed in very large quantities for 
the dyeing of cotton goods of all sorts and cotton and woolen goods 
(Unions). 

During the fiscal year of 1913-14, 2,247,474 pounds of DIRECT 
BLACK were imported under one hundred and thirty-seven (137) 
different names and brands, some showing the same reaction, the 
character of others having been disguised by mixing, or they were 
manufactured by an entirely different method. 

Sometimes these mixtures are so well disguised, that even an 
expert fails to recognize the nature of the dye or the source from 
which it was produced, but the dyer or user of DIRECT BLACK 
is usually not interested as long as the dye has the desired dyeing 
properties. 

4. CHROME AND ALIZARIN DYESTUFFS 
Chrome Blues 

These dyestuffs are principally used for the dyeing of men’s 
wear, piece goods, with silk pencil stripe effects. 

During the fiscal year of 1913-14, 303,011 pounds were imported 
under thirty-seven (37) different names and brands, and while few 
are chemically alike most of them produce the same shades by the 
afterchrome process, which is the method of dyeing navy blues in 
pencil stripe cloth. 


20 


5. VAT DYESTUFFS 

VAT DYESTUFFS are the latest developments in the dyestuff 
field and their properties as to fastness to washing and light are far 
superior to all other colors. 

During the fiscal year 1913-14, 1,265,056 pounds of VAT DYE¬ 
STUFFS were imported (outside of INDIGO). 

The importance of this class of dyestuff is shown by the fact, 
that during the fiscal year 1920 (as shown by the report of the 
United States Department of State, reported by Charles F. Hawes 
and printed in 1921) import licenses were granted for 1,917,222 
pounds of vat dystuffs (outside of INDIGO). 

This fact really ought to prove, that although the importations 
were controlled by the Department of State (War Trade Board) 
licenses granted for this group of dyestuffs were for a much greater 
amount than was actually consumed or imported in the fiscal year 
1913-14. 

This proves that the licensing system has not worked a hardship 
on the consumer of dyestuffs. 

Every large foreign dyestuff manufacturer has a line of vat 
dyestuffs, most all of them chemically different, but the dyes as 
such not only give practically the same shades but actually possess 
the same fastness. 

The different names under which the foreign houses are mar¬ 
keting products of this series are the following: Algol, Helindone, 
Indanthrene, Ciba and Cibanone, Hydrone and Durindone. 

6. SULPHUR DYESTUFFS 
Sulphur Black 

The importation of this very important dyestuff during the 
fiscal year of 1913-14 was 5,122,222 pounds, which was entered into 
the country under one hundred and twenty-four (124) different 
names and brands. Technically, few SULPHUR BLACKS are of 
the same chemical composition, but from the dyer’s viewpoint this 
is of no importance as he is interested solely in the principal 
property of a SULPHUR BLACK, which is its solubility and 
dyeing quality, and the various brands are substantially alike in 
these particulars. 

As a matter of fact, only a few SULPHUR DYES are of 
known definite chemical composition. 

THESE RECORDS HAVE BEEN COMPILED PRINCI¬ 
PALLY FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF THE CONSUMER OF 
DYESTUFFS AS APPLIED TO TEXTILES. 


21 


WHY AN ORDINARY TARIFF MEASURE WILL NOT 
PROPERLY PROTECT THE DYE AND COAL 
TAR CHEMICAL INDUSTRY 


The question has often been asked as to why an ordinary tariff 
measure will not properly protect the dye industry and why ade¬ 
quate protection during the industry’s formative period can be 
obtained only by an embargo feature, or some other extraordinary 
tariff measure. 

In order to answer this question it would seem necessary to 
just briefly outline the history and development of the dyestuff 
industry abroad. 

In the first place, let us understand that the dyestuff industry 
is closely tied up, or as a matter of fact, is part and parcel of the 
entire coal tar chemical industry, which industry embraces the 
manufacture of drugs, photographic chemicals, perfumery materials, 
tanning materials, synthetic resins, and insulating materials, etc. 
These industries are closely related chemically, are very complicated 
and very much dependent one on the other. 

While the dyestuff industry really originated in England, 
Germany, realizing the future for this industry, in 1879 started out 
to capture the world’s market in these products. 

The Government helped the industry first by passing suitable 
patent laws and later by more direct methods. 

The first stages of development of the organic chemical indus¬ 
try brought about considerable interest to the scientific men of 
the world. This was especially true in Germany and Switzerland, 
and as the industry developed, the race for knowledge and achieve¬ 
ment became a very serious one. In this race, Germany found it 
necessary to protect every process, method of manufacture and 
product. 

It is understood that these new chemical bodies or products, 
aside from arousing scientific interest, also brought a great deal of 
financial reward to the inventor. 

Within the next twelve years after 1879 a great many firms 
entered into the manufacture of dyestuffs and other coal tar chem¬ 
icals, and as the saleable products were protected by process patents, 
it was up to the newcomers in the field to invent new processes for 
the production of similar products, in order to enter the field. This 



22 


forced competitive manufacturers to bring many similar products 
in the market, therefore new patents were taken out, which not only 
covered the primary product, but a half a dozen or more similar 
products or dyes, which were just as useful and produced the same 
results as the original product. 

This was done not for the purpose of bringing a large number 
of products in the market, but to keep competitors from bringing 
out substitutes. By this, it will be seen, that it was the race for 
knowledge and money which actually was responsible for the 
great chemical development in Germany. In other words, these 
inventions, while of great scientific interest, actually brought great 
financial rewards. 

As the chemical field is so broad and as the competition became 
keener and keener every day, eventually the firms combined in 
order to do away with this idea of duplication. Had they kept 
it up indefinitely, the result would have been that for every suitable 
and useful dye there would have been probably fifty to one hundred 
substitutes, which were just as good as the original dye, as they 
would produce the same practical results. 

After the formation of this original combine, it was not neces¬ 
sary to bring out constant duplication of products, but many 
processes and products were duplicated by getting out improve¬ 
ment patents and otherwise in order to keep the rest of the world 
from going into the dyestuff and coal tar chemical business. 

Today all of the German firms have combined into one large 
company, known as the I. G. (Interessen Gemeinschaft, which 
translated, means associated, or pooled, interests). 

Therefore today the secret information of each firm is at the 
disposal of all, to be used for the purpose of controlling the world’s 
business. (See page 38.) 

In the statistics of the Department of Commerce, Special 
Agents’ Series No. 121, Importations of Dyestuffs in the Fiscal Year 
1913-14, it is shown that in that year, 3,613 brands of dyes were 
imported, CLASSIFIED AND OF A KNOWN CHEMICAL 
NATURE, and in addition there were imported 2,080 brands, which 
were NOT CLASSIFIED AND WERE OF UNKNOWN CHEM¬ 
ICAL CONSTRUCTION, some of which were in part mixtures. 

We, in this country, have developed since the war between 350 
and 400 of the classified dyes, and Germany in 1913 shipped to this 
country 5,693 different brands of dyes, while the authority on the 
subject, SCHULTZ DYESTUFF TABLES, shows but 921 classified 
dyes. 


23 


By reviewing this history it will be easily seen that the Germans 
can replace the 400 dyes which we are making by several thousand 
others, which they have made at one time or another. These dyes 
might differ in chemical composition, but from the practical stand¬ 
point of the user, are no different than those made here. 

Therefore, if a rate of duty is established for a given dye made 
here, a similar dye differing slightly in chemical composition but 
producing exactly the same results, can be brought into this country 
to replace it. 

A table (page 27) shows the compilation of the patents taken 
out from 1877 to 1902 and the number of separate dyes covered by 
those patents and also a specimen patent is appended (page 42). 

How is one going to fix a rate of duty on a product, which is 
not being made here, but which will replace one made here? 

The classifying of dyes is a very difficult matter as the number 
is so great. As an example let us take the first twenty-five years of 
the development of the industry in Germany (1877 to 1902). During 
that period, according to Friedlander “FORTSCHRITTE DER 
TEERFARBENFABRIKATION,” 4,348 patents were taken out 
for dyes and intermediates covering approximately six dyes or 
intermediates for each patent, making in all about twenty-five thou¬ 
sand (25,000) such products covered by these patents. 

How is one going to write a tariff bill that will protect the 
industry against the importation of those dyes which are being 
made here and also against the importation of dyes, which while 
chemically different, will do substantially the same work as those 
made here? 

IN OTHER WORDS, IT WOULD WORK OUT IN THIS 
WAY: 

As soon as a tariff bill is passed, which protects only the dyes 
which are manufactured here, the importer would immediately 
start to bring over such other dyes as would do substantially the 
same work and, in view of the number of types at their disposal, it 
would be an easy matter for them to do so. 

In this case, a protective tariff, no matter how high, would not 
give protection, as it would fail in its purpose; therefore extraor¬ 
dinary measures must be provided. 

Not all dyes need extraordinary protection. As a matter of 
fact, some of the staple products, which are made on a large scale 
here, can in a great measure be properly protected by high specific 


24 


and ad valorem rates, but the industry does not depend upon one 
or two large manufacturers, and neither does it depend upon the 
largely consumed staple dyes. On the contrary, the industry 
depends upon the hundred or more small manufacturers of special¬ 
ties on a small scale. 

It is these specialties which require the highest type and 
greatest number of technical men for both personal supervision 
and for research work, and the most complicated machinery and 
equipment. Therefore, in time of an emergency the manufacturer 
of specialties is in a much better position to serve the nation with 
trained men and material. 

Therefore, in order to be able to protect this industry it is 
believed a selective embargo or some other extraordinary tariff 
measure is needed which would regulate and control the importation 
of such dyes and other coal tar synthetics as are made in this coun¬ 
try in sufficient quantities at reasonable prices and which are of 
satisfactory quality. Other products, not made here at all, not pro¬ 
duced in sufficient quantities, not sold at reasonable prices, or not of 
suitable quality, should , in order to safeguard the interests of the 
consumer , be allowed entry into the United States at reasonable 
rates of duty. 

Care, however, must be taken to protect the domestic manu¬ 
facturer, not only against the products which are of the same chem¬ 
ical composition as those made here, but also against foreign dyes 
which will do substantially the same work as the American product 
when used in substantially the same manner. 

Otherwise the foreign manufacturer will be placed in a position 
where he will be able to ship here any of the dyestuffs which he has 
successfully produced during the past forty or fifty years. Aside 
from that, during the war new materials were brought out in Ger¬ 
many which can now be used for this purpose. 


25 


Selective Attack 

A plan of destroying a competing industry by a method known 
as '‘Selective Attack” has been very often used and discussed. The 
procedure is as simple as the results are disastrous. 

In the case of any industry not securely entrenched, such as 
the coal tar chemical industry in this country, each manufacturer 
has certain specialties which are comparatively profitable and which 
serve to carry the less profitable partly developed products until 
such time as they can stand alone. Plainly, if the manufacturer’s 
market for these specialties is taken away, he will not only be 
unable to develop the newer products, but he will be actually forced 
out of the field. This is especially true in the case of the smaller 
manufacturers. 

The foreign manufacturer, well entrenched by years of experi¬ 
ence, and with a broad line of profitable products, can well afford to 
temporarily forego a profit on certain few of his products, if thereby 
competition in his field is removed. Using the method of “Selective 
Attack,” he selects a certain type of dye, or dyes, made by but one 
or two domestic manufacturers, and which are their specialties. He 
offers them for sale at a price below domestic production cost. The 
domestic maker with his props knocked from under him in this 
manner faces a struggle too great to bear and is forced out of busi¬ 
ness. This is especially true of the small manufacturer with limited 
capital. One competitor removed from the path of the foreign 
maker, he repeats this operation against another. 

It is said that this plan would not be practicable if adequate 
tariff protection be afforded every dye made in America. 

A perusal of this booklet will show that the foreign producers 
will not be required to sell below cost the actual product made in 
this country, but will simply offer similar products of different 
chemical composition which will do substantially the same work. 

Against this open avenue of attack it is very difficult to devise 
methods of protection, unless all dyes which replace dyes made 
here, whether or not of the same chemical composition, are accorded 
the same method of protection. 

Prices 

Much consideration has been given to the differences of sales 
prices here and abroad. Little thought, however, has been given 
to costs of production. 

Paradoxically, sales prices abroad, and even here, may be but 
little controlled by the apparent costs of production. Forty years 


26 


of experience on the part of foreign makers has given them oppor¬ 
tunity to, and taught them methods of, utilizing all the numerous 
by-products obtained in the manufacture of coal-tar chemicals. It 
has been shown that the same intermediates used for the making 
of dyestuffs, are used for the production of drugs, photographic 
chemicals, perfume bases, tanning materials, solvents, artificial 
resins, etc. Hence it happens in many cases, that by-products 
costing little as such, may be readily converted into valuable prod¬ 
ucts on which there is so considerable a profit as to enable the 
original product to be sold at a price well below its apparent cost. 
(For examples see Appendix, page 45.) 

But the experience and knowledge necessary for us to make 
such a numerous progeny of the parent materials we can gain only 
at the expenditure of considerable capital and great energy, over an 
appreciable period of time. This, however, we will never be able 
to do unless during that period we have adequate protection to 
permit us to expand every branch of the industry. In so far as 
differences of cost due to low wages and foreign exchange affect 
this industry ordinary protective tariff measures will adequately 
protect the industry as these differences of cost become known. 

If we think of the dyestuff and coal tar chemical industry in 
terms of national defense and preparedness, the industry must be 
preserved to the fullest extent, and the protection of two or three 
large manufacturers for a time is not going to bring about the 
desired results. 

Thanks to practical knowledge, untiring effort, and personal 
attention to his business the smaller manufacturer is largely respon¬ 
sible for the development of the synthetic dyestuff and coal tar 
chemical industry to its present state. It is the smaller manu¬ 
facturer upon whom will fall the blow. Even now because of the 
uncertainty of the continuance of the present effective protection 
(under the Emergency Tariff) it is exceedingly difficult and in 
many cases impossible for him to procure sufficient finance to con¬ 
tinue operations. 

It is suggested that a suitable tariff to protect the whole indus¬ 
try would be obtained by adopting Paragraphs 25 and 26 of the 
Fordney Bill, and the administrative section of the Senate Bill as 
reported by the Senate Finance Committee in 1920. 

While a few minor changes might be necessitated by combining 
the two, in our opinion the bill would then be effective enough to 
adequately protect the synthetic coal tar chemical industry in the 
United States. 


ANALYSIS OF DYESTUFF PATENTS 


27 


Patents Described in 

Friedlaender, “Fortschritte der Teerfarbenfabrikation” 
1877 to 1902 (Vol. I to Vol. VI, Inc.) 

(This period was the most fruitful in the way of research and 
development work, especially in the line of extensively used dye¬ 
stuffs.) 


Total No. of Patents 


Vol. I covering 1877 to 1887. 432 

Vol. II covering 1887 to 1890. 358 

Vol. Ill covering 1890 to 1894. 619 

Vol. IV covering 1894 to 1897. 1,138 

Vol. V covering 1897 to 1900. 880 

Vol. VI covering 1900 to 1902. 921 


4,348 

This total represents not only dyestuff patents, but patents of 
intermediates and other coal tar chemicals. 

Having previously stated that one dyestuff patent represents 
five or more separate processes or products, as an example we are 
showing analysis of Volume IV and V of Friedlaender on actual 
dyestuff patents. 


VOLUME IV 




No. of 


No. of 

Processes 


Patents 

or Products 

Basic Dyestuffs . 

. 124 

528 

Acid Dyestuffs . 

. 77 

591 

Direct Dyestuffs . 

. 121 

1,267 

Alizarin Dyestuffs . 

. 51 

209 

Chrome Dyestuffs . 

. 60 

280 

Sulphur Dyestuffs. 

. 3 

10 

Vat Dyestuffs . 

. 1 

1 


437 

2,886 


















28 


VOLUME 

V* 




No. of 


No. of 

Processes 


Patents 

or Products 

Basic Dyestuffs . 

46 

200 

Acid Dyestuffs . 

62 

357 

Direct Dyestuffs . 

59 

477 

Alizarin Dyestuffs . 

40 

162 

Chrome Dyestuffs . 

20 

106 

Indigo . 

4 

12 

Sulphur Dyestuffs . 

16 

128 


247 

1,442 


These figures ought to be sufficient to prove that it would be 
a very difficult undertaking to classify and describe dyestuffs in 
such a manner as to be able to properly protect the industry by 
ordinary tariff measures, because on the average each patent covers 
six dyestuffs, 

WHICH, WHILE CHEMICALLY DIFFERENT, WILL DO 
SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME WORK, IF USED IN SUB¬ 
STANTIALLY THE SAME MANNER. 


*It is interesting to note that even as late as 1900 the development of 
processes for vat dyes, other than indigo, was in its infancy. Undoubtedly 
secret research work was being conducted because immediately thereafter 
patents in increasingly large numbers for this group of dyes were granted. 











29 


THE WHITE HOUSE 


Washington, August 10, 1921. 
Hon. Nicholas Longworth, 

House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. 

My Dear Congressman Longworth: 

I have your note calling my attention to the fact that 
the bill extending the provisions of the emergency tariff 
act relating to the protection of the American dye and 
chemical industry is to be before the House on the morrow. 
I am aware that the Secretary of the Treasury has already 
called the attention of your committee to the extreme desir¬ 
ability of extending this protective provision. 

Surely we would be both unmindful and unjust if we 
failed in a suitable protection of this industry until the new 
and complete tariff revision act is made effective. 

Very sincerely, 

(Signed) WARREN G. HARDING. 



30 


WAR DEPARTMENT 
WASHINGTON 


July 26, 1921. 

Chairman, U. S. Senate Finance Committee, 

Senate Office Building, 

Washington, D. C. 

My Dear Senator Penrose: 

My attention has been drawn to the fact that the Ford- 
ney Tariff Bill as passed by the House of Representatives 
will not protect the American organic chemical industry 
from destruction by German competition. 

One of the most startling discoveries of the World War 
was the fact that the United States could mobilize, train 
and equip with clothing three or four million men far 
quicker than it could supply the cannon, the rifles and the 
ammunition for them. Notwithstanding that from 1914 to 
1917 our great steel industries and our rapidly developing 
chemical industries had been working feverishly to increase 
their facilities to supply munitions and guns to the Allies, 
it was more than a year after we entered the war before 
those industries were able to supply ammunition, war gases, 
guns and rifles to meet American needs. Even then our 
chemical industries were so undeveloped in 1917 that it was 
necessary for the Government to build tremendous high 
explosive plants as at Nitro, West Virginia, and practically 
all poisonous gas plants for supplying gases and smoke 
materials to the United States Army. 

Prior to the outbreak of the war in Europe in 1914, the 
American organic chemical industry was very small. This 
was particularly true of the dye industry. At that time, the 
value of coal tar dyes, drugs, etc., produced in Germany 
was more than twice that produced by all the rest of the 
world, and more than twenty-one times that of the United 
States. The dye industry is the backbone of the organic 
chemical industry on which all Governments are dependent 
for their high explosives, their war gases, their medicines 
and many other materials. 



31 


So fully did Germany realize before, during and after 
the World War that predominance in the organic chemical 
industry and particularly the dye industry meant the most 
valuable measure of preparedness possible, that she has 
united all her organic chemical industries into one great 
trust, the Interessen Gemeinschaft. 

Not only is the German workman paid much less than 
the American workman but the depreciated mark makes the 
difference still more pronounced. It therefore seems certain 
that the German dye trust can produce dyes and similar 
materials so much cheaper than the American can produce 
them that no ordinary tariff can keep the German dye trust 
from destroying the American dye industry and thereby 
crippling the whole organic chemical industry. 

The use of high explosives and war gases will unques¬ 
tionably be far greater in any future struggle than in the 
World War. Inasmuch as the coal tar industry, which is 
the base of all dyes, is also the base of all high explosives 
and most of our war gases, it is of the most vital importance 
to preparedness that the dye industry be developed to the 
fullest possible extent in this country. It is felt that this 
danger is so great that I urge the enactment of the embargo 
feature of the Fordney Tariff Bill as submitted by the Ways 
and Means Committee of the House as the only way to 
prevent crushing our chemical market by German competi¬ 
tion. 

For the above reasons, England, France, Italy and Japan 
have already enacted embargoes on the importation of dyes, 
medicinals and other organic chemicals which will remain 
in effect for varying periods up to ten years in the case of 
England. 

Very truly yours, 

(Signed) JOHN W. WEEKS. 


32 


THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY 
WASHINGTON 


July 27, 1921. 

My Dear Senator: 

Understanding that the recommendation of the Ways 
and Means Committee of the House placing a limited 
embargo on the importation of coal-tar products (HR7456 
General Tariff Revision Page 6) was rejected by the House, 
I am earnestly requesting that your Committee give special 
attention to this feature. 

The Longworth Bill (HR8078 66th Congress) included 
a selective embargo regulating the importation of organic 
chemicals particularly those useful in the preparation of 
explosives and toxic gases used in chemical warfare. 

The Fordney Bill as reported from the Committee 
included a modified clause to the same effect. It is of great 
value to the Navy to encourage the development of chemical 
activities in the manufacture of all products connected with 
the above mentioned articles, especially those manufacturers 
whose establishments can easily be diverted to the manu¬ 
facture of war materials when needed. The restoration of 
the embargo clause will be of material help and I will greatly 
appreciate your assistance to this effect. 

Sincerely yours, 

(Signed) EDWIN DENBY. 

Hon. Boies Penrose, 

United States Senate, 

Washington, D. C. 



33 


General of the Armies, 

Washington, July 15, 1921. 

Hon. Nicholas Longworth, 

House of Representatives, 

Washington, D. C. 

Dear Mr. Longworth: 

With reference to the protection for the dye industry 
in this country, it can be stated that the coal-tar products, 
of which dyes are the most important at present in peace, 
is the base of practically all of our high explosives and 
most of our war gases. 

Our shortage of chemical plants in general, and dye 
plants in particular, prior to the World War, made it difficult 
for us to obtain a supply of high explosives and gases until 
we had been in the war for several months. 

From the above the importance of the chemical industry 
from a military standpoint will be readily seen. 

Sincerely yours, 

(Signed) JOHN J. PERSHING. 


34 


Extracts from Statement of Brigadier General Amos A. Fries, 
Chief of the Chemical Warfare Service, U. S. A. 
Before the Committee on Finance of the U. S. Senate 
on the Dye and Chemical Schedules of the Tariff Bill, 
Washington, D. C., Aug. 4, 1921. 


General Fries: ***** All of our war high explosives, most 
of our war gases, many of our most important medicines and our 
photographic chemicals, all of which are essential in war, come 
either directly from these coal tar crudes or in combination with 
other chemicals. For instance, trinitrotoluol, which is the only 
explosive now usd in war by any nation, so far as they have a 
sufficient quantity of it. Before that it was all picric acid, or some 
compound of it, which comes from the phenol by nitrating. 

“ * * * Phosgene is another one of our most important war 
gases. The Germans learned how to make it and use it. They knew 
how to make it, because they used it directly in making dyes, and 
it is used in this country now. We have sold a good deal of our 
surplus phosgene to dye makers. 

“In that connection, the first phosgene that was made here 
was made in a chemical plant at Niagara Falls. They had about the 
only information, outside of Frank Hemingway who was engaged in 
chemical production in New Jersey. 

“ * * * We are interested in the medicine side of this question 
tremendously, and in photographic chemicals as well as the dyes; 
but the dyes are the most important in a commercial way. Hence, 
if that is kept up the others rather follow. In fact, the development 
of the medicinal parts of these coal tar products followed the devel¬ 
opment of dyes, even in Germany. * * * ” 

Senator Calder: “Is it the War Department’s desire to maintain 
and retain that plant?’’ (The Edgewood Arsenal.) 

General Fries: “It is, until such time as we have so completely 
developed the coal tar industry that we can afford to abandon it. 
A* a matter of fact, today we would have to depend on that plant 
for a large part of our war gases because we have not the plants 



35 


throughout the country and the trained personnel to do it, and even 
then, if we started those plants, we would have to call on the coal 
tar industry and other chemical industries for probably three or 
four or five hundred chemists and chemical workers and chemical 
operators to put that plant in operation. 

“ * * * We were also short, in France, of personnel. We could 
not get trained chemists enough for field use. We have a great deal 
of use for chemists right out in the field. 

“One instance illustrates that clearly. In the fight in which the 
Marines were engaged at Belleau Woods, a report came back to 
Corps Headquarters that the Germans were using a new gas and 
they did not know just what to do. One of the ablest men I had, 
a chemist, was sent there and rushed into the thickest of the fight, 
clear through the area, and was able to report to them that it was 
no new gas; that it was the same gas they had been using and that 
our gas masks were a protection against it. 

“That information was of very great importance to that com¬ 
mand and the whole division operating around there. We will need 
more men of that kind in a future war. We could not get enough 
of them in France. 

“ * * * I do not think chloro-picrin had been made to any 
extent at all. Mustard gas had not. 

“It is interesting in connection with the dye question to note 
that the Germans used one of the ingredients that they finally made 
mustard gas from in photographic chemical work, allied with coal-tar 
products, and were able to make mustard gas rather quickly, after 
they decided to make it, by a method which has been known since 
1886. We could not make it by that method, and never did, because 
we had not developed that part of our photographic or coal tar 
industry. So we had to introduce an entirely new method developed 
chemically by Professor William A. Pope of England, who first 
worked it up, and it was later perfected by Levinstein, a dye manu¬ 
facturer of England. The process that we are now using is prac¬ 
tically the latter’s. 

“ * * * But everyone of these plants that are making dyes or 
medicines or photographic chemicals or perfumes or any of these 
other products that come from coal tar can be turned, in a few 
weeks, into explosive plants. If we have not those plants, then we 


36 


have got to build huge plants such as we built during the war; and 
in the next war we will not have time for it. 

“ * * * And it was just for that reason in my opinion that she 
(Germany) was enabled to produce the powders and high explosives 
and the war gases and her medicine—which are tremendously impor¬ 
tant in war—on a quantity basis which enabled her to fight that war 
against the world 4% years. I do not think there was any other 
way she could have done it at all. 

“Another thing that appeals to me in regard to the embargo 
was that we are expecting to have a disarmament conference in this 
country in the next few months. The nations that will interest us 
most in this conference have already put embargoes on the importa¬ 
tion of dyes, and these nations are England, France, Italy and 
Japan; and looking at it from a preparedness standpoint, it looks 
to me as if that would be the safest thing for us to try. 

“ * * * After the battle of the Marne the (German) Govern¬ 
ment realized the need for expanding the output of explosives and 
most of the chemical works were producing small quantities by the 
end of 1914. The demand made on them increased during 1915, but 
it was not until 1916 that plans were laid down to asist in the enor¬ 
mous production of explosives required by the Hindenburg pro¬ 
gramme. Most of the big extensions of the synthetic ammonia and 
of the nitric and sulphuric acid plants date from this time, many 
chemists being released from the army and the scientific staff of 
some of the works being augmented. A standard plant used for 
the manufacture of dyes was converted for the production of explo¬ 
sives with remarkable speed; for instance, at Leverkusen a T. N. T. 
plant producing 250 tons per month was put into operation in six 
weeks.” 


37 


Extracts from and Synopsis of Article by Dr. A. Buntrock 
Editor of the “Zeitschrift fuer Farben-Industrie’’ and 
German Dyestuff Expert, 

Published in the “Zeitschrift fuer Far ben-Industr ie” 
(Periodical of the Dyestuff Industry) 

Of January 1st, 1919, Entitled 
“The Dye Industry of Germany and Other Countries” 

“The war is over. The dye industries of the several nations, 
which by their operations produced one of the most important means 
for carrying on the war, the explosives, will now place their aid at 
the disposal of the nations in their friendly struggle to reconstruct 
the industries which have been hard hit. 

“Not only does the textile industry, the largest of the industries 
of each country, wish back the dyes and chemicals which it requires 
for the refinement of its finished product, but suffering humanity 
wants to be in a position to again make use of medicinal preparations 
for alleviating pain. The agriculturist expects the steady supply of 
effective fertilizers to improve the produce and yields from his 
fields. These are to be supplied by the dystuff industry which by 
its scientific and technical promotion has developed the air nitrogen 
industry. 

“But will the struggle actually be a friendly one? 

“Before the war the German synthetic dye industry by far sur¬ 
passed similar industries of the rest of the world and to such an 
extent that comparison was simply out of the question. Even the 
rest of the world acknowledges this fact. True, during the four 
years of war the industries of France, England and the United States 
made extraordinary efforts to reach higher levels and, further, they 
are striving to maintain them and to drive Germany from the field, 
not only in their own countries, but also in foreign lands. 

“That is their good and proper right. 

“But the self-evident right of the German dye industry is to 
prepare proper defensive measures. Peace time only will prove 
whether the foreign dye industry can survive. Political voices and 
tariff laws can of course create temporary checks, but eventually 
dyes will be bought where the best and cheapest are offered without 
regard to the country of their origin. 



38 


“It is much to be desired that the contest shall not assume a 
phase that retards the understanding among the nations. Under¬ 
standings of foreign interest more than ever should be widened.” 

Further on in the article Dr. Buntrock goes into the history of 
the dyestuff industry in Germany. He says that, although the 
industry was not born in Germany, it has, thanks to the technical 
development and due to the adequate; supply of chemists for 
research, reached the position of superiority it occupies today. He 
furthermore describes the formation of the newly developed mon¬ 
opoly called the Interessen Gemeinschaft, gives the names of the 
members of this newly formed combine, which are: 

Aktien-Gesellschaft fuer Anilin-Fabrikation; Berlin-Treptow. 

Badische Anilin & Soda-Fabrik; Ludwigshafen a. Rh. 

Farbenfabriken vorm. Friedr. Bayer & Co.; Leverkusen a. Rh. 

Leopold Cassella & Co., G. m. b. H.; Frankfurt a. M. 

Chemische Fabriken vorm. Weiler-ter Meer.; Uerdingen a. Rh. 

Chemische Fabrik Griesheim-Elektron; Frankfurt a. M. 

Chemikalienwerk Griesheim, G. m. b. H.; Griesheim a. M. 

Farbwerke vorm. Meister Lucius & Bruening. Hoechst a. M. 

Farbwerke Muehlheim vorm. A. Leonhardt & Co.; Muehlheim. 

Karl Jaeger, G. m. b. H., Duesseldorf. 

Kalle & Co., Aktiengesellschaft. Biebrich a. Rh. 

Wuelfing, Dahl & Co., Barmen. 

“As a result an industry has been assembled which so far as 
capital is concerned has no equal. Its own capital is about 300 
million marks, but if one considers the reserves which do not 
appear as capital, the united assets of the Interessen Gemeinschaft 
would amount to one billion marks.” 

He states that this association places them in the position where 
they are exchanging processes, the use of patents, etc. 

“The manufacturers’ processes are to be exchanged. This 
decision is of great importance. Every one of the mentioned firms 
has certain specialties in which it has reached the highest standard 
of achievement. When all those experiences are exchanged the 
result is that only the best manufacturing methods available in the 
industry at any time will be employed. It is this fact which will 
result in placing the German manufacturers of dyestuffs in a position 


39 


to produce a quality of goods at such prices that the foreign manu¬ 
facturers of dyestuffs will be unable to compete. Tariffs will be of 
little or no avail. (Italics ours.) 

“It was also voted by the Interessen Gemeinschaft that each 
product be manufactured in at least two places. This is for the 
purpose of encouraging further invention and to otherwise improve 
working methods. This step was taken because the weakest point 
possible of the Interessen Gemeinschaft is: once the members feel 
secure from competition they might be willing to sit back and rest 
on their laurels.” 

He further states that the future will show how this scheme is 
going to work out. To make the matter clear, the establishment of 
this Interessen Gemeinschaft was not effected for glorification, but 
for the maintenance of leadership of the German dyestuff industry. 

He discusses what happened in England, France and Switzer¬ 
land during the war, showing that in Switzerland the three largest 
concerns also combined to safeguard their interests. 

Among other statements he points out that the English Govern¬ 
ment, in view of the experience of the English dyestuff manufac¬ 
turers in the earlier years of the war decided to support the industry 
by loaning it £2,000,000 at 5%, repayable over a period of years. 
This money was loaned for the purpose of developing additional 
dyestuffs, installing plants, and for the establishment of research 
and training laboratories. 

He says also that there is practically no industry in Holland 
and that Italy has invested something like thirty-six million lire in 
the dyestuff business. He points out the interest that the Japanese 
Government has taken in this matter in backing up the Japanese 
industry by guaranteeing an 8% income for ten years. 

Finally he discusses the development of the dyestuff industry 
in the United States and under this heading makes several pertinent 
statements. He says that the United States believes in mass pro¬ 
duction and for this reason the dye industry in the United States 
is not going to be a great success. 

He also explains that during the war the United States 
developed its coal tar products for the purposes of the war which 
gave it the opportunity to enter into the dye and coal tar chemical 
field. 


40 


He says: “The production of dyestuffs as developed in Ger¬ 
many, necessitates a multitude of small operations, and a willingness 
to meet the desire of the customers, which often amounts to the 
making of special brands for the satisfaction of home consumers. 
This sometimes requires the production of almost minute amount of 
dyestuffs of special shades or having special properties. 

“While the production on a large scale of chemical products 
may be left to well trained workmen, such as the German industry 
has trained in the course of years, the development of the smaller 
production, or rather, the creation of chemicals in a small way, 
requires an army of chemists, whose task it is not only to use their 
practical experience, their inventive faculties, but every other means 
at their disposal, to ensure the undertaking be successfully accom¬ 
plished. This often requires that the chemist retrace his steps to a 
consideration of the problem from the viewpoint of pure science * *. 

“But this requires money. Money for experimental work and 
money for investigation, and it is not possible to foretell if it ever 
can be made to pay ” (Italics ours.) 

While he does not question that Americans may be willing to 
put capital into an undertaking under such conditions, he does 
question whether the attitude of the usual American business man 
will be favorable to anything but mass production. For that reason 
Buntrock believes that the American producer will prefer to make 
100,000 pounds of one dyestuff rather than 10,000 pounds each of 
twenty different dyestuffs. The great demand for explosives during 
the war gave the Americans the opportunity of creating the facili¬ 
ties for large production and therefore some makers are ready to 
produce dyestuffs and other chemicals on a large scale. 


41 


CONCLUSION 


Having considered the facts from the technical point of view 
of the practical manufacturer, from the viewpoint of safeguarding 
the security and health of the nation as shown in the letters of 
President Harding, Secretary of War Weeks, Secretary of the Navy 
Denby, Chief of Staff General Pershing, Chief of the Chemical 
Warfare Service General Fries, the reader will be convinced of the 
peculiar needs of the industry. This conviction must be still more 
strengthened by the German point of view as shown in the quoted 
article, and the English sentiment as expressed by Sir William Pope. 

Having reached the conclusion that this industry deserves your 
especial consideration of its peculiar needs, it is your duty to act 
on that conclusion to the end that the coal tar chemical industry 
will remain a truly American industry, backed by American capital 
and manned by American chemists for the benefit of the American 
people. 



42 


SPECIMEN DYESTUFF PATENT 


Being German Patent 81573, Issued in Class 22 to 
Farbwerke vorm. Meister Lucius & Bruening in Hoechst a. M. 
(Dyestuff works, formerly Meister, Lucius & Bruening of Hoechst 

on the Main.) 

Process of Production for the Manufacture of Black Diazo Dyestuffs 
From Dioxynaphthalene Sulphonic Acids. 

This is the Third Addition to Patent 59161 of February 10, 1891 
Applied for February 18, 1892 
Granted April 29, 1895 


(Explanation: In which is granted patent rights to the manu¬ 
facture of 21 chemically different dyestuffs. To make these 21 dyes 
one basic intermediate is combined with the other intermediates in 
such a manner as to make 21 different chemical combinations, all 
of which give practically the same results.) 

SUMMARIZED ABSTRACT 


In Patent 59161 was granted rights for the manufacture of 
certain black diazo dyestuffs made from Dioxynaphthalene Disul- 
fonic Acid. This Dioxynaphthalene Disulfonic Acid is made from 
the Naphthosulfondisulphonic Acid or the Naphtholtrisulphonic 
Acid of Patent 56058 by the melting of either of them with alkali. 
This patent (81573) covers dyestuffs of similar properties and shades 
as the above, but made in this case from Dioxynaphthalene-monosul- 
phonic Acid S as described in Patent 67829. These dyes (in Patent 
67829) are made by combining this Dioxynaphthalene-monosul- 
phonic Acid S with either of two different classes of diazo com¬ 
pounds, in a similar manner to the dyes made according to patents 
54116 and 73551. The patent states that no marked degree of 
difference exists between the dyestuffs produced under this patent, 
and that the yields obtained are satisfactory, and the dyestuffs 
themselves are of extraordinary coloring value. 

After giving an example of how the dyestuffs can be success¬ 
fully made, it shows further that under this patent many other 
intermediates of different chemical composition can be used and in 
most cases dyestuffs are obtained of the same dyeing properties or 
which are similar in character. 





43 


All of these dyestuffs dye wool in an acid bath from a purple 
to a deep blue black, which colors, on subsequent after-treatment 
with chrome salts, produce deeper shades or jet blacks. 

Dyestuffs made from Dioxynaphthalene-monosulphonic Acid S 
under this patent: 


1 Mol. diaz. Naphtionic Acid 
—1 Mol. diaz. Anilin 

ACID DYED AFTER 

ON WOOL CHROMING 

Blue Black Coal Black 

1 Mol. diaz. Naphtionic Acid 
—1 Mol. p-Nitranilin 

Deep Blue Black Jet Black 

1 Mol. diaz. Naphtionic Acid 
—1 Mol. diaz. a-Naphtylamin 

Blue Black Jet Black 

1 MoL diaz Naphtionic Acid 
—1 Mol. diaz B-Naphtylamin 

Blue Black Coal Black 

1 Mol diaz Naphtionic Acid 
—1 Mol. diaz B-Naphtylamin 
Sulphonic Acid 

Blue Black Jet Black 

1 Mol. Naphtionic Acid 
—1 Mol. diaz B-Naphtylamin 
Sulphonic Acid G 

Violet Black Coal Black 

1 Mol. diaz Naphtionic Acid 

1 Mol. diaz b-Naphtylamin 
Sulphonic Acid R 

Blue Black Jet Coal Black 

1 MoL diaz Naphtionic Acid 
—1 Mol. diaz Amidonaphtol 
Sulphonic Acid G 
(Patent 53076) 

Violet Blue Jet Coal Black 

1 Mol. diaz Naphtionic Acid 

_1 Mol diaz Amidonaphtol 

Sulphonic Acid R 
(Patent 53076) 

Violet Blue Jet Black 

1 Mol. diaz Naphtionic Acid 
—1 Mol. diaz Amidonaphtol 
Disulphonic Acid 
(Patent 53023) 

Violet Blue Coal Black 


44 


1 Mol. diaz Naphtionic Acid 
—1 Mol. diaz Amidonaphtol 
Disulphonic Acid H 
(Patent 69722) 

Violet Blue Coal Black 

1 Mol. diaz. Amidonaphtol 

Sulphonic Acid G 
—1 Mol. A nil in 

Violet Blue Jet Black 

1 Mol. diaz. Amidonaphtol 

Sulphonic Acid G 
—1 Mol. diaz. p-Nitranilin 

Reddish Black Black 

1 Mol. diaz. Amidonaphtol 

Sulphonic Acid G 
—1 Mol. diaz. a-Naphtylamin 

Blue Black Jet Black 

1 Mol. diaz. Amidonaphtol 

Sulphonic Acid G 
—1 Mol. diaz. b-Naphtylamin 

Blue Black Jet Black 

1 Mol. diaz. Amidonaphtol 

Sulphonic Acid G 
—1 Mol. diaz. b-Naphtylamin 
Sulphonic Acid 

Blue Black Coal Black 

1 Mol. diaz. Amidonaphtol 

Sulphonic Acid G 
—1 Mol. diaz. b-Naphtylamin 
Sulphonic Acid G 

Blue Black Coal Black 

1 Mol. diaz. Amidonaphtol 

Sulphonic Acid G 
—1 Mol. diaz. b-Naphtylamin 
Sulphonic Acid R 

Blue Black Coal Black 

1 Mol. diaz. Amidonaphtol 

Sulphonic Acid G 
—1 Mol. diaz Amidonaphtol 
Sulphonic Acid R 
(Patent 53TJ76) 

Red Violet Coal Black 

1 Mol. diaz. Amidonaphtol 

Sulphonic Acid G 
—1 Mol. diaz Amidonaphtol 
Disulphonic Acid 
(Patent 53023) 

Blue Black Coal Black 

1 Mol. diaz. Amidonaphtol 

Sulphonic Acid G 
—1 Mol. diaz Amidonaphtol 
Disulphonic Acid H 
(Patent 69723) 

Violet Jet Black 


45 


IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF DYESTUFFS BY MONTHS 



Exports 

Imports 


1920 

1921 

1921 

January . 

. $917,000 

$943,000 

297,000 

February . 

. 1,851,000 

397,000 

333,000 

March . 

. 2,649,000 

575,000 

294,000 

April . 

. 1,830,000 

306,000 

279,000 

May . 

. 2,181,000 

278,000 

322,000 

June . 

. 2,389,000 

444,000 

459,000 

July . 

. 1,771,000 

310,000 

838,000 

August . 

. 1,151,000 



September . 

. 2,115,000 



October . 

. 1,802,000 


•••••«• 

November . 

. 2,006,000 



December . 

. 1,788,000 




The table shows at a glance that while the imports by months 
show a gradual increase, the exports show a gradual but definite de¬ 
crease. Special attention is called to the month of July, 1921, which 
is the last month of record, showing imports of $838,000 against ex¬ 
ports of $310,000, therefore the imports are 170% more than the 
exports, despite the emergency tariff license control. 

Due to Germany's lack of shipping facilities and the necessary 
selling arrangements the American dyestuff manufacturers have en¬ 
joyed a healthy export business. These figures plainly indicate that 
our export business is doomed. 





























46 


UTILIZATION OF BY-PRODUCTS 


By intensive development the coal tar chemical industry has 
recovered, among others, the following otherwise valueless by¬ 
products: 

For the manufacture of Paramidophenol, the widely used 
photographic developer, fur dye, and intermediate for Phenacetin, 
Phenol is nitrated. This process always yields two products, Para- 
nitrophenol and Orthonitrophenol. While the Paranitrophenol is 
the raw material for the products named, the by-product, Ortho¬ 
nitrophenol, is used for the manufacture of Guaiacol, one of the 
few effective tuberculosis remedies, which is also the basis for the 
manufacture of Vanillin. From Orthonitrophenol is also produced 
a very effective disinfectant, Chinisol. 


In the manufacture of Sulphur Black, the universal and cheap¬ 
est hosiery black, hyposulphite of soda is obtained as a by-product. 
This material (the “Hypo” of photography) is used for removing 
the last traces of chlorine from bleached fabrics, for bleaching wool, 
straw and oils, and as a preservative in the sugar industry. 


In the manufacture of the sweetening substance Saccharine, two 
pounds of the by-product Paratoluenesulphochloride are obtained 
for every pound of Saccharine. Valuable use is found for this by¬ 
product, however, in the production of Chloramine- and Dichlora- 
mine-T, the germicides introduced by Dakin with marked success 
during the war. It finds further application in the production of 
an ethylating agent for dye-making, and for the manufacture of a 
type of acid blues. 


Anthracene is the starting-point from which nearly all the re¬ 
markably fast vat dyes are made. In the purification of Anthracene 
numerous other hydrocarbons must be separated as by-products, for 
example, Carbazol, which is the base of Hydron Blue, a vat dye of 
great value and fastness, Carbazol Yellow and red and green dyes. 


The following list of the application of otherwise valueless 
by-products might be almost indefinitely prolonged: 







47 


The chlorination of Benzol for Monochlorbenzol gives at the 
same time considerable Dichlorbenzol, which is used as a disinfec¬ 
tant, and as the starting-point for Dichloramine dyes. This type of 
dyes is very fast to washing. 

In the manufacture of Beta Naphthol about 10% of the naphtha¬ 
lene is converted to Alpha Naphthol. Beta Naphthol has various 
uses as described on page 8. The Alpha compound is used largely 
for Naphthol Yellow S, and is the basis of other valuable inter¬ 
mediates. 

In the manufacture of Gamma Acid, a Naphthalene interme¬ 
diate, J Acid is a by-product. From Gamma Acid is made Nyanza 
Black B, Zambesi Brown G, and many other dyes, while from J Acid 
is made Benzo Fast Scarlet and other dyes. The by-product, J Acid 
is worth twice as much as the main product, Gamma Acid. 

In the manufacture of Peri Acid, another Naphthalene inter¬ 
mediate, Laurent’s Acid is a by-product. Peri Acid is the basis for 
Sulphon Acid Blue R, Coomassie Navy Blue and other acid dyes. 
From Laurent’s Acid is made Brilliant Fast Red G, Benzo Purpurin 
6B, and New Patent Blue. 


Thus it will be seen that from by-products may be made remark¬ 
ably diverse substances,—drugs, flavors, disinfectants, and many 
types of dyes. Many such by-products probably have uses which 
we have not yet found. 

When an organic chemical industry utilizes all its by-products, 
costs are reduced to a minimum. This development requires time 
and cannot be accomplished until the complete field of organic 
chemistry is covered. 



At the Joint Meeting of the American Chemical Society 
and the Society of the Chemical Industry (British), New 
York, Sept. 7, 1921, speaking on “Mustard Gas,” Sir William 
Pope, Professor of Chemistry in Cambridge University, said: 

“It is customary to suppose that war only exists during 
a period of hostilities. That has certainly not been the case 
during the recent conflict. The war from which we have 
just emerged did not start seven years ago; it started forty 
years ago, and throughout that whole period you in America 
and we in England have been fighting for the enemy. 

“Every dollar which you spent here on German dyes, 
every pound which we spent in England upon German dyes, 
was a contribution toward the military war effort, and 
although we may have done that in the past in ignorance, I 
venture to think it will be criminal if you citizens of the 
United States and we British in the future buy German dyes, 
which can be made equally well here and in England as in 
Germany, and so contribute to the German war chest.” 







